Every mom needs flowers on Mother’s Day! Flowers and Vase is a lively, acrylic impressionism I painted a few years ago. Using a paint roller, I applied an uneven layer of ultramarine blue, then added a couple more layers of the blue, framing the central portion of the canvas by making the uneven blue more pronounced and dark around the perimeter. Ultramarine is a very useful blue, with just a subtle lean towards the purple end of the spectrum, without the paleness of cobalt blue, or the green tint of cerulean blue. The greens of the foliage and colors for the flowers were done by squeezing paint straight from the tubes to the canvas, and then quickly and somewhat carelessly spreading the paints with a 1 inch putty knife and 3 inch paint scrapper. This 1 1/2 inch thick stretched canvas original painting measures 36 inches wide by 48 inches high, is coated in varnish, and the borders are dark blue. http://www.facebook.com/PaulWhittArt

Sandy Beach. Whether it’s a crowded tourist filled beach in Marseilles, France, or Galveston, Texas, or a secluded romantic view from Destin, Florida, or Fiji, South Pacific; everyone loves a sunny day at the beach. With this work I wanted to capture that causal feeling of a warm breeze and a cool sea surf.

The underlying texture for the clouds was the first step of this large 4 x 4 foot canvas. Construction joint compound mixed with latex house paint was applied in a thick band across the horizon, and then swirled with my fingers to give the impression of cumulus puffy clouds. A thin glaze of cobalt blue mixed with a hint of white was applied and allowed to seep into the crevices of the clouds. Acrylic paints were then applied horizontally using a paint roller, in bands of ultramarine and cobalt blues, cerulean blue mixed with cadmium yellow for a rich green, a turquoise made from cerulean blue, and then the beach with raw and burnt siennas. Over the next week, layers were applied in a glaze fashion to richen the sky and water, and a hint of copper for the beach. Attention was finally turned back to the clouds where titanium white was applied to the textured highlights, and then a gloss varnish applied. Use your imagination to remember a day at the beach!

Welcome to my Original Art website! With this blog, I will try to keep you updated on the “method behind the madness” for my art, the painting techniques I use, my inspiration for various works, other artists and their work, updates on the charities we support, ideas for upcoming projects, and occasional rantings and ravings on anything remotely art related. Remember to follow us on Twitter and Facebook.